Fire-places and Kitchen Utensils. 325 



On removing the kettle from the oven I found that 

 the tin on its handle had been melted, and had fallen 

 down in drops, which rested on the body of the kettle 

 below, where they had congealed, having been cooled 

 by the water in the kettle. 



This discovery convinced me that I should not fail of 

 obtaining in these ovens any degree of heat that could 

 possibly be wanted in any culinary process whatever: it 

 showed me likewise that degrees of temperature much 

 higher than that of boiling water may exist in a closed 

 oven in which water is boiling; and it seemed to indi- 

 cate that all the different culinary processes of boiling, 

 stewing, roasting, and baking might be carried on at 

 the same time in one and the same oven. Subsequent 

 experiments have since confirmed all these indications, 

 and have put the facts beyond all doubt. These facts 

 are certainly curious, and the knowledge of them may 

 lead to useful improvements ; for they may enable us to 

 simplify very much the implements used in cookery. 



Having found that I could boil water in my small 

 ovens, my next attempt was to boil meat in them. I 

 put about three pounds of beef, in one compact lump, 

 into an earthen pot, and filling the pot to within about 

 two inches of its brim with cold water, I set it in one 

 of the lower ovens, shutting the door of the oven, and 

 keeping up a small steady fire in the fire-place. In 

 about two hours and three quarters the meat was found 

 to be sufficiently boiled ; and all those who partook of 

 it (and they were not fewer than nine or ten persons) 

 agreed in thinking it perfectly good and uncommonly 

 savoury. On my guard against the illusions which 

 frequently are produced by novelty, I should have had 

 doubts respecting the reality of those superior qualities 



